Loose-leaf binder and method of making the same



rai'enied Jan. 3i, 192s. y

d UNITED ISTATES 1,657,474' PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS IP. .'EYLAND, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 IRVING-PITT MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSURI, A CDRPORATIUN F MISSOURI.

, Loose-nnen nrnnna Ann Maanen or nnte 'ran entre.

Application aiea recenter ie, iaas. semi o. tarea.

'lhis invention relates to loosefleaf binders of the ring type, and particularly to such temporary binders as are rovided with onepieee, single pl and exible backs adapted t tc be engaged y an arcuate back plate.

lhe primary object of the present invention is the provision of a new and novel inethod of cutting the single ply back to torni a suitable pocket for the reception of to the hack plate, whereby the concave surface thereof isv covered with a smooth facing of the back material.

l-leretofore, when arcuate, metal back plates were inserted or affixed to the back, lt 'that portion of the material extending over the concave face of said plate always gathered or wrinkled on account of ithe shorter distance across that face.

lt is, therefore, the object of'the instant 2F invention to provide a novel method of forming a pocket in a single ply book back whereby a back plate may be attached thereto in a manner which does not lpermit of anything but an extremely neat appearance will not allow gathering of the materia over the concave face of the back plate and is extremely effective in securely holding the saine in place.

.Yet another object of this invention is to provide flaps, for engaging the arcuate back plate of a book, which are cut from the single ply back in a way to present an uninterrupted edge with no exposed slits or raw edges.

Still another object of this invention is t0 provide flaps for engaging the arcuate back r plate of a book which draw the cover mem- -bers snugly around the plate and give a more desirable and pleasing form to the hinder. a

With these and minor objects in View, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flexible back, looseleaf ring binder made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the' binder taken on line II--II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary face view of a iece of single ply material which is used in l orining the back and which has been subjected to the first step in forming the back plate securing pocket. y

Figs. 4 and 5 show the material after treatment of the following two steps.

'a yportion of the back showing one end of Figs. 6 .and 7 are enlarged fragmentary cross sections of the book back material taken on line lV-FV of Fig. 5 and showing the relation of the back plate to the pocket before and after the Haps are axed to the concave face of the plate. y

:Fig: 8 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one end of the back plate showing the covering flaps in place.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section taken on liiielX-llh of Fig. 7.

F ig. 10 is an enlarged cross section of binder showing the parts in place, and,

Fig.. l1 is an enlarged perspective view of the pocket. Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 10 designates the well-known a-rcuate b ack plate of a loose-leaf ring binder which is utilized to engage the channel 12 and hold the same firmly atlixedin its proper relation. As is known in the art, channel 12 supports a pair of plates 13 which are used to carry rings 14 and maintain the same in the open or closed position.

Generally, the structurev so far set forthis i old, .and thoroughly understood. This i11- vention relates particularly to the cutting and forming of a suitable pocket or attaching in eans in the single ply, one-piece back 15 which forms the covers of the book. The material used to make 'the flexible backl is preferably leather, and the first step in the method is to form cavities 16 at points spaced inwardly from the opposite edges and on the longitudinal centers Athereof. These cavities 16 extend approximately one-halfway through the back `material 15 and openon the inner face or surface thereof. The tools used in performing the following steps are common to the leather worki trade, and need not be specifically describe Two longitudinal grooves '17 and 18 re- 100 i the binder to ,he made. 11e

tilll- The neat step in treating or cutting the back material 15 is to form an intermediate groove 19, as shown in Fig. 4, along the longitudinal center of the back and substantially parallel to grooves 17 and 18. This groove 19 should be approximately as deepas the cavities 16 and grooves 17 and 18, and some material should be left between its ends and the cavities 16.

ln horizontally severing the material to form a pocket to receive back plate 10, the cutting instrument should be forced outwardly to the lett and right of intermediate groove 19 to a line 20 parallel to grooves 1'? and 18. This horizontal cut is made between the faces of back material 15 and on a plane with the bot-tom of intermediate groove 19.

After this transverse horizontal eut is made, slits 21 are cut, the depth of grooves 17, 18 and 19, from each end of intermediate groove 19 to a point spaced inwardly from grooves 17' and 18 as shown in Figs. 5 and 11. rlhese slits 21 should be cut to the point near the grooves as also shown in Fig. to join a slit 21 extending parallel to the grooves 17 and 18 and at right angles to slit 21 in the manner shown. After slits 21 and 21 are cut, the horizontal severing is com leted by cutting inwardly from the edges o back material to meet the pocket formed by the first-mentioned horizontal cut. The arrows of Fig. 5 indicate the direction of travel of the cutting tool, and the horizontal cutting extends to longitudinal slit 21 which opens at the edge of material 15 as illustrated in Fig. 11. In this manner, a pair of flaps 22 and 23 are cut tree from material 15 which have a transverse portion extending along the edges of the material between the grooves 17 and 18 and which carries the opening-16. The adjoining edges between the transverse portions are spaced apart the width of intermediate groove 19, and the flaps may be hinged back as shown in Fig. 6 toallow the introduction of back plate 10 to the pocket.

As will he noticed in liig. 5, each ofthe two flaps terminates at an end .spaced inwardly from the edge of the back, while its other end is disposed in Hush relation with the opposite edge of the back. rThe end Hush with the back edge is wider than that end terminating at the inwardly spaced oint, and extends entirely across the space tween the two lines which determine the total width of the two flaps. As above, this wider or transverse portion extends uninterruptedly across the split-away part forming the flaps and itscontinuous outer edge presents a desirable effect after it hasv been cemented back in place.

After the several cutting operations have taken place as before set forth, and the flaps hinged back to admit the back plate, each naamw flap is coated on its under side with any suitable adhesive. The back is pulled around the convex side et plate 10, and the two flaps are pulled together and pressed over the concave surface of the same. pulling the flaps 22 and 23 together, the distance apart of their adjoining edges is greatly reduced due to the shorter distance across this particular side ot the plate lll.

ln some instances, it may be desirable to cut intermediate groove 19 a width which will permit of the adjoining edges to substantially abut when the tiaps are pressed into place.

ln this operation, the lug 2d is caused to pass upwardly through opening 16. 'llhe transverse portion et each flap 22 and 2li will overlap its respective slit 21 when the flaps are glued in place as shown in Fig. 7. To finish the operation, the superlluous niaterial at the end ot this portion'is eut oft' on a line with the slit 21', and the materia-l glued together as shown in F ig. 9. ln this manner, no jagged edges or cuts are exposed, and the plate 10 is entirely covered without creating gathers or wrinkles in the cover material. Also, the slit 21" is covered by chan-- nel 12, as shown in Fig. 1U, when the binder is assembled and the hinging or folding haelt of the haelt material 15 will not cause the flaps to strip or eel.

As a result o this new method, the back plate serves to hold the material 15 in a pleasing curve around the back ot the book. The covers will not flatten or pull away from the plate, and a most desirable binder is produced.

What I claim is:

1. The method ot securing a metal back plate in a leather book cover consisting in cutting two longitudinal grooves entirely across the back to form hinge lines, cutting a longitudinal groove intermediate said two grooves, severing the material a predetermined distance on each side of the intermediate groove and inwardly from the two edges ofl the back between the two longitudinal grooves to meet said severed portion.

2. The method of securing a metal hack plate in a leather book cover consisting in cutting two longitudinal grooves entirely across the baekto form hinge lines, cutting a longitudinal groove intermediate said grooves, cutting a slit from each end of said intermediate groove toward one of said two longitudinal grooves and thence outwardly to the edge of said back and horizontally severing the material a predetermined distance on each side o the intermediate groove and inwardly from the edges of the back between said slit andone of the two longitudinal grooves.

3. The method of securing a metal back plate in a, leather book cover consisting in cutting two longitudinal grooves entirely lll!) across the back to 'form hinge lines, cutting a longitudinal groove intermediate said two rooves, cutting in the back in one side of ut not entirely through the back a slit from each end of said intermediate groove toward one of said two longitudinal grooves and thence parallel thereto to the edge of said back,`horizontally severing the.material a redetermined distance on each side of the intermediate groove and inwardly from each side of the back between said slit and one of the twolon 'tudinal grooves to meet said severed portion and the said slit.

4: The method of securing a metal back plate in a leather book cover consisting in forming a recess in one side of said back adjacent each edge, cutting two longitudinal grooves entirely across the back, cutting a longitudinal groove intermediate said two grooves in longitudinal alinement with said recesses, cutting in the back a slit from each end-of said intermediate groove toward opposite ones of said two longitudinal grooves and thence parallel thereto to the edge of said back, horizontally severing the material inwardly from-the sides of said back from the slit parallel to one of said grooves to within a short distance of the other of said 'longitudinal grooves whereby a iia is formed havin an opening therethroug 5. The met od of securing a-metal back plate in a leather book cover consisting in forming a recess in one side of said hackeadjacent each edge, cuttin two longitudinal ooves entirely ,across t e back, cutting a ongitudinal groovefiiitermediate said two grooves in longitudinal alinement with said recesses, cutting in the back a slit from 'each end of said intermediate groove toward opposite ones of said two longitudinal grooves and thence parallel thereto to the edge of said hack, horizontally severing the material on each side of said intermediate groove to within a distance ofeach'of said two longitudinal grooves and horizontally severing the material inwardl from each side of said back to meet said rst mentioned severed portion and extending from 'the slit parallel to the longitudinal oove to a line in longitudinal extension o the terminating line of the iirst mentioned severed portion.

6. The method of attaching the back plate to the back of a book consistin in formin a pair of lon 'tudinal flaps in the bac having their ajloinin edges spaced apart, positioning an arcuate ack plate beneath said iiaps'and gluing the under side of said iaps to the concave face of said back p ate.

7 A book cover having a single ply backA provided with a longitudinal pocket adapted to receive a back plate and extending entirely across said back, a slot cut in oneside of said pocket and transverse slits cut in the same side of said-pocket extendin at right angles to said slot and oppositely om the two sides .respectively thereof, saidlslits meetin at their remoteends slits extendin inward y from the adjacent edges of sai back.

8. In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders adapted to receive an arcuate back plate, a pair of longitudinal tiaps formed from the material of said back, the adjacent edges of said iaps being spaced apart when said back is in a fiat plane, whereby when said back plate is positioned, `the-'concave surface thereof is covered and a smooth facing of cover material is presentedv by drawing the adjacent edges of said iiaps together.

9. In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders adapted to receive an Yarcuate back plate, a pair of longitudinal iaps formed from the material of said back, the adjacent edges of said iiaps being spaced a art before said back plate is positioned an caused to lie in substantially a aiixed to the concave face thereof.i

10.-In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders adapted to receive an arcuate back plate, a pairof lon 'tudinal flaps formed from the material o said back, said iaps utt'ing relation after said plate is vin place and 'said {iaps are' being cut to present a smooth arcuate surface after said back plate is positioned-,and said flaps are aliixed to the concave face thereof.

11. In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders, a pair of iiaps split from said back each of saidiaps terminating at one end spaced inwardly from one edge of said back,

the other end of each fla respectively being flush with the opposite e ge of the back.

12. In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders, a pair of iaps split from said back each having a transverse portion at one end thereof, said' portionv extending the -full width of the two flaps and having its outer edge flush with the adjacent edge of said back.

13. In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders, a pair of-iaps split from said back each having a transverse portion at one end thereof extending the fullwidth of the two flaps, the transverse portion of each iap respectivel being adjacent opposite edges of the bac 14. In a single ply back for loose-leaf binders, a pair of flaps split from said back each having a transverse ortion at opposite ends thereof extending the entire width of both flaps, the adjacent edges of both flaps between the transverse portions being spaced apart and an opening through the transverse portion of each iap.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflixv my signature.

THOMAS P. HYLAND. 

